Volkswagen shrugs off lingering dieselgate scandal to accelerate lead as world’s largest car maker

German vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen has extended its lead over Japanese rival Toyota as the biggest player in the sector over the course of 2017.

Volkswagen brushes off dieselgate to accelerate lead as world’s largest car maker

Volkswagen estimates that it has achieved global sales of 10.7m vehicles for the past year, ahead of its arch Far East rival which is forecast to shift 10.35m vehicles over the same period.

VW Group has been kept in the driving seat courtesy of ongoing demand for its Audi, SEAT and Porsche brands which have been in greater demand than Toyota’s Daihatsu, Lexus and Hino.

The figures will provide a welcome reprieve to under-fire Volkswagen management amidst continued fallout from the ‘dieselgate’ controversy which saw VW slapped down with fines and compensation bills totaling tens of billions of euros.

While the financial hit has been severe the long-term reputational damage appears less so with consumers seemingly happy to brush aside lingering concerns emanating from the scandal.